Tamper indicating security bag

ABSTRACT

A security bag has tamper indicating features that may be incorporated directly on the bag during manufacture, without requiring conventional tamper-indicating tapes. Release material is selectively applied to the bag in the form of a pattern or void message, prior to treatment of the bag to improve ink-retaining characteristics. After treatment, an ink layer is applied over the release material. An adhesive layer is applied to the bag in an area that will seal an opening of the bag and contact the ink layer at least when the bag is sealed. When the bag is reopened after initial sealing, portions of the ink layer applied over the release material will be retained with the adhesive, while the remainder of the ink layer will be retained on the treated surface of the bag.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to plastic bags, and more particularlyto plastic security bags.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Plastic security bags are becoming widely used to transport sensitive orvaluable items such as paper money, checks, or coins. These bagsgenerally include tamper indicating features that provide visibleevidence that a security bag has been opened after it has been initiallysealed. For example, many security bags utilize tamper indicating tapescontaining a void message or a visible pattern that is activated whenthe bag is opened. The message or pattern is imbedded into an ink layerthat is covered with an adhesive for sealing the bag. When it is desiredto seal the bag, a protective backing strip is removed from the adhesiveand the tamper indicating tape is placed in contact with the opening ofthe bag to thereby seal the opening. These tamper indicating bags haveseveral drawbacks. First, the tamper indicating tapes require additionalmanufacturing steps to create the tamper indicating feature. Theseadditional manufacturing steps, together with the additional cost of thetape, add to the overall cost of producing the bags. In addition, tamperindicating tapes typically require special adhesives which areformulated to release at predetermined tensile values to permit openingthe bag while retaining ink in the area of the void message. The needfor special adhesives further increases the cost of producing the bags.Many tamper indicating tapes are highly sensitive and often provide afalse indication of tampering when no such tampering has occurred.Finally, conventional security bags incorporating tamper indicatingtapes are still susceptible to tampering because the ink is generallyapplied to be exposed on only one side of the adhesive layer of thetape. Thus, entry to the security bag may be gained by delaminating theside of the tape that does not contain ink, for example by heating orfreezing the bag.

There is thus a need for a plastic security bag which overcomesdrawbacks of the prior art such as those described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a security bag which includestamper-indicating features incorporated directly on the bag duringmanufacture, without the need for conventional tamper-indicating tapesto be applied to the bag. Because the tamper-indicating features may beincorporated directly on the bag, production line speeds can beincreased and overall production costs reduced. In one embodiment, theinvention also provides improved security by incorporatingtamper-indicating features on both sides of an adhesive that is used toseal the bag. In this embodiment, attempts to delaminate the bag oneither side of the adhesive will create a visible indication of thetampering.

In one aspect of the invention, release material is selectively appliedto portions of the bag near its opening, to create a pattern or voidmessage that will be visible when the bag has been tampered with. Thebag is then treated, for example by corona discharge, to enhance the inkretaining characteristics of the bag material. After treatment, ink isapplied to the bag, generally over the area containing the releasematerial. Adhesive is applied to the bag, either atop the ink layer orin an area of the bag that will engage the opening and ink layer whenthe bag is sealed.

When the bag is reopened after initial sealing, portions of the inklayer directly over the selectively applied release material will adhereto the adhesive more strongly than the release material, and will beremoved with the adhesive while the other portions of the ink layer willremain in place. The missing portions of the ink layer will provide avisual indication that the bag has been opened, in the form of thepattern or void message created by the release material.

In an exemplary embodiment, the release material and ink layer areapplied to one of first and second wall sections that define areceptacle of the bag. In another exemplary embodiment, release materialand ink layers are applied to both wall sections.

In another exemplary embodiment, the bag further includes a closureconfigured to engage the opening of the bag. In another exemplaryembodiment, the closure comprises one of the opposing wall sections. Inyet another exemplary embodiment, the closure comprises a flap engagablewith the opening.

These and other features, objects and advantages of the invention willbe come more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art uponreview of the following detailed description, taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description given below, serve to explain the invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary security bagincluding-tamper indicating features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the bag of FIG. 1, takenalong line 2-2;

FIG. 3A is a partial cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 2,illustrating the bag in a closed condition;

FIG. 3B is a partial cross-sectional view of the bag of FIG. 3A,illustrating an open condition of the bag after initial sealing;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view of the re-opened bag of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of another exemplary embodimentof the security bag of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 6A-6C are partial cross-sectional views of yet another securitybag of the present invention, illustrating operation of thetamper-indicating features;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view depicting yet anotherembodiment of a security bag according to the present invention; and

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of asecurity bag according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown an exemplary security bag 10including tamper-indicating features according to the present invention.In the exemplary embodiment shown, the security bag 10 includes firstand second opposing wall sections 12, 14 defining a receptacle 16 forreceiving articles to be stored in the bag 10. The bag 10 may be formed,for example, by folding a sheet of plastic material and stamping andheat sealing the folded sheets in appropriate locations to create sealededges, perforations, and an opening, as will be understood by thoseskilled in the art. The exemplary bag 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 has first andsecond side edges 18, 20 which have been heat sealed and which togetherwith a first transverse heat seal 22 formed between the first and secondside edges 18, 20 and proximate a distal end 24 of the bag 10 define thereceptacle 16 of the bag 10. An opening 26, in the form of a transverseslit formed in the first wall section 12, provides access to thereceptacle 16. A second transverse heat seal 28 formed toward theproximal end 30 of the bag 10 joins the folded layers and defines aclosure portion 32 of the bag 10 adjacent the opening 26.

Transverse perforations 34 formed in the bag 10 at the proximal end 30define a first receipt portion 38, which may be removed from the bag 10as known in the art. Bag 10 may further include a second removablereceipt portion 40 at the distal end 24, below transverse heat seal 22,and defined by transverse perforations 36. Alternatively, a slit may beformed in the first wall section 12 below the transverse heat seal,instead of perforations 36, to create a pouch which may be used to storerouting slips or other non-cash items, as may be desired. Tape oradhesive may be provided on the bag 10, near the slit, to facilitatesealing the pouch in a non-secure manner.

Tamper-indicating features applied to the bag 10 proximate the opening26 act in conjunction with the closure 32 to provide a visibleindication that the bag 10 has been reopened after initial sealing ofthe opening 26 with the closure 32. In the exemplary embodiment shown,the tamper-indicating features comprise release material 50 which hasbeen applied to the first wall section 12 adjacent the opening 26 formedin the first wall section 12. The release material 50 may be applied ina specific pattern or in the form of text, and is applied to the firstwall section 12 prior to treating the bag 10 to enhance the inkretaining characteristics of the bag material. For example, it is commonto corona treat many plastic materials utilized in the formation ofplastic security bags prior to applying inks to thereby enhance the inkretaining characteristics of the material. Because the release material50 is applied to the bag 10 prior to this treatment, the areas of thebag 10 underlying the release material 50 are protected from thetreatment and define localized sites where the ink layers applied to thebag 10 will have less ink retention capability. To further create thetamper-indicating features of the bag 10, a visible ink layer 52 isapplied to the first wall 12, adjacent the opening 26, and over therelease material 50. As noted above, the ink 52 will adhere quite wellto the surface of the bag 10 which has been exposed to the surfacetreatment process, but the ink 52 will not adhere as well to the areasof the bag 10 which have received the release material 50.

In the exemplary embodiment shown, an adhesive layer 54 is disposed onthe closure portion 32 of the bag 10 in an area which will cover theopening 26 and the ink layer 52 which has been applied around theopening 26 on the first wall 12 when the closure 32 is folded to engagethe opening 26 as depicted in FIG. 3A. The closure 32 may furtherinclude a liner material 56 disposed on the adhesive 54 to protect theadhesive 54 from contamination and to prevent premature adhesion of theclosure 32 to the bag 10. To seal the bag 10, the protective liner 56 isremoved from the adhesive layer 54 and the closure 32 is folded to placethe adhesive 54 in contact with the ink layer 52 surrounding the opening26 of the bag 10. Advantageously, the adhesive 54 readily adheres to theink layer 52 and securely seals the opening 26.

When the bag 10 is opened for the first time after initial sealing, theportions of the ink layer 52 disposed on the areas of the bag 10containing the release material 50 will adhere to the adhesive 54 andwill be removed along with the adhesive 54 when the closure 32 is urgedaway from the opening 26 of the bag 10, as depicted in FIG. 3B. In thismanner, the remaining ink layer 52 and exposed release material 50create a visible pattern or indicia that clearly indicates that the bag10 has been reopened, as illustrated in FIG. 4. Advantageously, therelease material 50 may be selected to be transparent, thereby providingcontrast with the visible ink layer 52. Alternatively, the releasematerial 50 may be selected to have a color which is distinct from theink layer 52. Accordingly, the release material may comprise colored ornon-pigmented ink, varnish, or other material suitable for protectingthe surface of the bag material from the treatment process.

Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown another exemplary embodiment ofthe security bag 10 a according to the present invention wherein releasematerial 50 and ink layers 52 have been applied to the closure portion32 a of the bag 10 a in the manner described above. Similar featureshave been similarly numbered. An adhesive layer 54 and liner 56 aredisposed on the closure portion 32 a to protect the adhesive 54 prior tosealing the bag 10 a. Advantageously, this embodiment provides tamperindicating features on both sides of the adhesive layer 54 when the bag10 a is sealed, thereby providing additional security againstunauthorized access to the contents of the bag 10 a. For example, thedouble-applied release material 50 and ink layers 52 provide indicationof when delamination of either side of the adhesive layer 54 has beenattempted. The exemplary bag 10 a of FIG. 5 operates in a manner similarto that described above whereby the liner material 56 is removed fromthe adhesive layer 54 and the closure 32 a is folded to engage theadhesive layer 54 and the ink layer 52 applied to the first wall 12 ofthe bag 10 a adjacent the opening 26. When the bag 10 a of FIG. 5 isreopened after initial sealing, one or both ink layers 52 are separatedand adhere to the adhesive layers 54 in the areas where the releasematerial 50 has been applied to the bag 10 a.

Referring now to FIG. 6A-6C, there is shown yet another exemplarysecurity bag 10 b, according to the present invention, in which featuressimilar to those described above have been similarly numbered. In thisembodiment, an opening 60 to the receptacle 16 is defined by the firstand second opposing wall sections 12, 14 of the bag 10 b. The releasematerial 50 and ink layers 52 of the tamper-indicating features areapplied to the inner surfaces 62, 64 of both the first and secondopposing wall sections 12, 14 and an adhesive layer 54 is applied to oneof the opposing wall sections, whereby the opening 60 of the bag 10 bmay be sealed as described above and illustrated in FIG. 6B. When thebag 10 b has been reopened after initial sealing, the portions of theink layer 52 corresponding to areas of the bag 10 b containing therelease material 50 are separated from adjacent portions of the inklayer 52 and adhere to the adhesive layer 54 as depicted in FIG. 6C andin a manner similar to that described above.

While the exemplary embodiment of FIGS. 6A-6C has been shown anddescribed as having ink layers 52 and release material 50 disposed onboth the first and second opposing wall sections 12, 14 of the bag 10 b,it will be recognized that the release material 50 and/or ink layer 52may alternatively be applied to only one of the opposing wall sections12, 14.

Referring now to FIGS. 7 and 8, there are shown additional exemplaryembodiments of security bags 10 c, 10 d including tamper-indicatingfeatures of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the security bag 10 ccomprises first and second opposing wall sections 12, 14 defining areceptacle 16 and having a closure 32 c defined by a portion of thesecond wall section 14 which has been folded over to engage the innerside 62 of the first wall section 12. In FIG. 8, the exemplary bag 10 dis configured such that the second wall section 14 is folded over toengage the outer side 66 of the first wall section 12. In both bags 10c, 10 d, release material 50 and ink layers 52 have been applied to boththe first and second wall sections 12, 14 to create tamper-indicatingfeatures, as described above. While these exemplary embodiments havebeen depicted and described as having release material 50 and ink layers52 disposed on both the first and second opposing wall sections 12, 14,it will be recognized that the tamper-indicating features mayalternatively comprise release material 50 and ink layer 52 applied toonly one of the first and second wall sections 12, 14.

Advantageously, the tamper indicating features of the present inventionmay be applied directly to the various surfaces of the plastic sheetmaterial forming the plastic bag without the need to incorporate aseparate tamper indicating tape into the bag. Accordingly, a securitybag of the present invention may be readily formed, incorporating thetamper-indicating features directly into the manufacturing stream. Thispermits the line speed of machinery which is utilized to manufacture theplastic bags to move at a higher rate to thereby produce a greaterquantity of security bags in a given time period. Because the machinescan be run at a higher rate, economies of scale provide further costbenefits in producing security bags according to the present invention.Furthermore, the tamper-indicating features of the present invention donot require the use of special adhesives, thereby providing further costbenefits. The tamper-indicating features are also more robust thanconventional tamper-indicating tapes in that they are less susceptibleto providing a false indication that a security bag has been tamperedwith.

Accordingly, an exemplary method of making a tamper indicating securitybag includes selectively applying release material 50 to at least oneportion of the bag, treating the bag to enhance ink retentioncharacteristics of the bag, and applying an ink layer 52 to the bag atopthe release material 50. The release material 50 and ink layer 52 may beapplied to the bag in an area that surrounds an opening of the bag, orin an area that will engage the opening when the bag is sealed. Themethod may further include applying an adhesive layer 54 to the bag, inan area that will engage the ink layer when the bag is closed to sealthe opening. Alternatively, the adhesive layer 54 may be applied atopthe ink layer.

While the present invention has been illustrated by the description ofvarious embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have beendescribed in considerable detail, it is not intended to restrict or inany way limit the scope of the appended claims to such detail.Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to thoseskilled in the art. The invention in its broader aspects is thereforenot limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and methodand illustrative examples shown and described. Accordingly, departuresmay be made from such details without departing from the scope or spiritof the general inventive concept.

1. A security bag, comprising: first and second opposing wall sectionsdefining a receptacle; an opening to said receptacle; release materialselectively disposed on at least one of said first and second opposingwall sections, adjacent said opening; an ink layer disposed on at leastone of said first and second opposing wall sections, atop said releasematerial; an adhesive layer disposed on at least one of said first andsecond opposing wall sections, proximate said opening, for sealing saidopening.
 2. The security bag of claim 1, wherein said release materialand said ink layer are disposed on only one of said first and secondwall sections.
 3. The security bag of claim 1, wherein said releasematerial and said ink layer are disposed on both said wall sections. 4.The security bag of claim 1, wherein said release material, said inklayer, and said adhesive layer are all disposed on only one of said wallsections.
 5. A security bag, comprising: first and second opposing wallsections defining a receptacle; an opening to said receptacle; a closureconfigured to engage said opening; release material selectively disposedon at least one of said first wall section, said second wall section,and said closure; an ink layer disposed atop said release material on atleast one of said first wall section, said second wall section, and saidclosure; an adhesive layer disposed on at least one of said first wallsection, said second wall section, and said closure, such that saidopening may be sealed by said adhesive when said closure is engaged withsaid opening and said adhesive is in contact with said ink layer atleast when said closure is engaged with said opening.
 6. The securitybag of claim 5, wherein said closure comprises at least one of saidfirst and second wall sections.
 7. The security bag of claim 5, whereinsaid closure comprises a flap member configured to engage said opening.8. The security bag of claim 6, wherein said opening is defined by anaperture formed said first wall section.
 9. The security bag of claim 8,wherein said release material and said ink layer are disposed on saidfirst wall section, adjacent said aperture.
 10. The security bag ofclaim 8, wherein said release material and said ink layer are disposedon said closure engagable with said aperture.
 11. The security bag ofclaim 8, wherein said release material and said ink layer are disposedon said first wall section, adjacent said aperture, and on said closureengageable with said aperture.
 12. The security bag of claim 6, whereinsaid adhesive is positioned to contact said ink layer when said openingis sealed.
 13. The security bag of claim 6, wherein said adhesive layeris disposed atop said ink layer on at least one of said first wallsection, said second wall section and said closure.
 14. A method ofmaking a tamper indicating bag, comprising: selectively applying releasematerial to at least one portion of the bag; treating the bag to enhanceink retention characteristics of the bag; and applying an ink layer tothe at least one portion of the bag, atop the release material.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising: applying an adhesive layer tothe bag, atop the ink layer.
 16. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: applying an adhesive layer to the bag in an area that willengage the ink layer when the bag is sealed.
 17. The method of claim 14,wherein treating the bag comprises corona treating at least a portion ofthe bag.